Seatle is Bilding the first Food Forest

By Liliana Usvat

Here a good  idea to follow



Seattle’s vision of an urban food oasis . A seven-acre plot of land in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood  planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: walnut and chestnut trees;

 blueberry and raspberry bushes; fruit trees, including apples and pears;

 exotics like pineapple,


yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, and lingonberries

; herbs; and more. All will be available for public plucking to anyone who wanders into the city’s first food forest.

Permaculture 




The concept of a food forest certainly pushes the envelope on urban agriculture and is grounded in the concept of permaculture, which means it will be perennial and self-sustaining, like a forest is in the wild. Not only is this forest Seattle’s first large-scale permaculture project, but it’s also believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

City Fruit 


In 2014 City Fruit will be expanding the steward program to two additional parks and will be planting new fruit trees and associated understory (berries) according to permaculture priniciples.



The Seattle Orchard Steward project provides in-depth training in fruit tree care to individuals interested in developing their own skills and provides hundreds of pounds of fruit to the emergency food system in Seattle -- fruit that previously went to waste.


 The living trees also connect Seattle's residents with the city's agricultural heritage and provide a focal point for community gatherings.



More than 30 public Seattle parks have fruit trees, which historically have been neglected because park employees often don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to the maintenance of these trees.

Low-Hanging Fruit: an Edible Forest


Imagine if your neighborhood park doubled as a communal orchard. Out of fruit in the fridge? Just stroll down the block and pluck the first ripe pear you see.



Blog 139-365

Boswellia Sacra Frankincense Biblical Plants Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat

 
This is Boswellia sacra, better known as the frankincense tree. The shrub’s gum resin is one of the three biblical gifts that the wise men bestowed on the infant Jesus.

Boswellia sacra (commonly known as frankincense or olibanum-tree) is a tree in the Burseraceae family. It is the primary tree in the genus Boswellia from which frankincense, a resinous dried sap, is harvested. It is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Yemen), and northeastern Africa (Somalia).


Little Socotra Island, located in the Indian Ocean, 380 km away to the south of the Arabian Pensinula and 240 km away east of the Horn of Africa, located on the trade route became one of the leading suppliers of frankincense in the world, mainly due to the exceptional quality incense harvested here.


In ancient times, 2500 years before Christ, frankincense was sought by the Egyptians for mummification of pharaohs and their religious rituals, but also for therapeutic effect (antiseptic, antibacterial, anesthetic medium power)


This species of Boswellia is a small deciduous tree, which reaches a height of 2 to 8 m (6 ft 7 in to 26 ft 3 in), with one or more trunks. Its bark has the texture of paper and can be removed easily.

Boswellia sacra is abundant in Oman and southern Yemen in arid woodland, on the steep, precariously eroding slopes in the mountains of Dhofar, but it is most prevalent in northern Somalia.

History 


We do know that frankincense  it already scented the Egyptian Temples to honor Ra and Horus and it is said that Queen Sheba brought a great number of Frankincense trees as a special gift for King Solomon. 

Unfortunately those trees were destined to die as Frankincense trees only grow in a very limited geographic range and very arid conditions. Nevertheless, it's the thought that counts and bringing all these trees was indeed a very strong sign of honour and respect.

The earliest recorded account of the use of Arabian frankincense and myrrh by the ancient Greeks comes from Herodotus, suggesting that by 500 BC a well-established trade existed between southern Arabia and Greece. In 295 BC Theophrastus recorded that Alexander the Greek (356-323 BC) sent Anaxicrates to southern Arabia to ascertain the origin of frankincense.

Theophrastus (c. 372-287 BC), the Greek botanist, and Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), the Latin naturalist, provided eyewitness accounts of the cultivation and harvesting of frankincense, and the methods remain largely unchanged today.

When slashed, the bark exudes an oily gum resin which is either scraped off the tree or collected from the ground as it drips off, a method which produces a better quality resin. The best quality resin is pale in colour, while resin which is scraped off the bark is reddish and considered inferior.

The trees, although provided by nature, 'belong' as deliberated by unspoken agreement, to particular families who live nearby and who claim the right to harvest them. In the ancient world all Frankincense trees were decreed to belong to the King and only he negotiated the harvesting rights with the various merchants for a goodly fee.


Studies have shown that where families take a 'guardian' position towards the trees they are far better cared for and protected as naturally any desert dweller will be quite careful to protect the source of their livelihood compared to roving harvesters who do not have any vested interest in the welfare of a particular tree.

Emperor Nero utilized a pomade made from the gum mixed with wax to disguise the tell-tale bags beneath his eyes that appeared after a night of debauchery.

Legend

Legend had it that the trees only grew in the most inhospitable mountainous places, guarded by dragon-like creatures that would readily strike out at any intruder.

 Frankincense in The Church



Frankincense was associated almost all the major religions of the world with divinity, its smoke into the sky raising prayer. "Let my prayer as incense before you," says the Psalmist (Psalm 140) 

When, exactly, incense was introduced into the religious services of the Church it is not easy to say. During the first four centuries there is no evidence for its use.

Still, its common employment in the Temple and the references to it in the New Testament (cf. Luke 1:10; Revelation 8:3-5) would suggest an early familiarity with it in Christian worship. The earliest authentic reference to its use in the service of the Church is found in Pseudo-Dionysius ("De Hier. Ecc.", III, 2).

The Liturgies of Sts. James and Mark — which in their present form are not older than the fifth century — refer to its use at the Sacred Mysteries.

A Roman Ordo of the seventh century mentions that it was used in the procession of the bishop to the altar and on Good Friday (cf. "Ordo Romanus VIII" of St. Amand). The pilgrim Etheria saw it employed at the vigil Offices of the Sunday in Jerusalem (cf. Peregrinatio, II). Almost all Eastern liturgies bear witness to its use in the celebration of the Mass, particularly at the Offertory. 

Medicinal Uses


The traditional applications of Frankincense are very diverse - ranging from

• dental disease to 
• skin conditions, to 
• respiratory complaints and 
•  digestive troubles - to name but a few. 

Throughout the ancient world, from Egypt to China and from India to Rome - not to mention the Arabian countries where Frankincense was grown, used not only the oleoresin, but practically every part of the tree: root and bark, bud, flower
 

 and fruit - as well as the resin and the essential oil all had their various uses.

• The powdered bark was made up into an astringent paste which was used as a soothing ointment as a remedy for swelling (oedema).
• As a treatment for mastitis the dried or fresh gum was boiled in milk from the patient, to form a thick paste which was applied to the affected part. 
• The bark was brewed into a stimulating and cleansing tea,
•  the white inner root of young plants was chewed to treat stomach problems
• The singed, powdered bark was commonly stored as a first aid remedy for wounds, Mixed with water it was applied as a 'ready to use' dressing for wounds and burns, though if available, the fresh bark was also used for this purpose- particularly as an antiseptic wash to clean dirty or infected wounds. 
• The resin's antiseptic properties have been utilized as in ingredient for eye-washes to treat various ophthalmic diseases
• in Ethiopia the soot of the resin is thought to be beneficial for the eyes and sore or tired eyes are fumigated with the smoke
• The bark also found application in the setting of broken bones. Two pieces of the wood were used as splints, with strips of Frankincense bark wrapped around them along with bandage soaked in soft resin, which upon drying helped to provide firm support for the mending bone.
• The resin was chewed to stimulate the gums and treat dental infections
• Buds and fruit provided a cleansing tonic for the digestive system.
• Brewed into a decoction with Cinnamon and Cardamom the resin was used to treat stomach aches
• Burnt as incense it was not only thought to keep off the demons of disease and reduce pain, but it was also thought to act as an expectorant and was used to clear phlegm from the head and chest in cases of colds, flu and conditions of the upper respiratory tract.
• Frankincense was thought to improve memory and dispel lethargy.
• As an admixture to white wine and the lungs of a hare it was also used as a remedy for epilepsy,
• the smoke of the smouldering resin was used to treat severe and persistent headaches.
• The smoke is also a powerful insect deterrent
• The smoke served as a prophylactic to prevent the bites of malaria carrying mosquitoes.
•  The bark was made into an ointment to treat severe muscle pain
• In India was the oleoresin noted as a remedy for rheumatism 
• In women's medicine - the bark was chewed for morning sickness and a potion made from the resin dissolved in wine with snakeskin was thought to ease difficult labour.
• During and after birth frankincense was burnt for 40 days in order to protect mother and child.

• Frankincense oil 'could be alternative treatment for bladder cancer. The herb, famous as one of the presents brought by the wise men when they visited the baby Jesus, does not harm healthy cells, found the study.The oil halted the growth of the cancer cells before going on to kill them, according to the study.

• The herb known as "Indian Frankincense" could ease the effects of arthritis. 
• The use of incense was very common. It was employed for profane purposes as an antidote to the lassitude caused by very great heat, 
•  now used as perfumes

Soil and Rock Fixation


Individual trees growing on steep slopes tend to develop some buttressing that extends from the roots up into the base of the stem. This forms a sort of cushion that adheres to the rock and ensures a certain stability.

Resin

The resin is extracted by making a small, shallow incision on the trunk or branches of the tree or by removing a portion of the crust of it. The resin is drained as a milky substance that coagulates in contact with air and is collected by hand.

The adhesive qualities of the gum have been used to seal minor crack and repair pottery and other utensils, as the gum hardens upon drying. Combined with other substances it has also been used to caulk ships.

In ancient Egypt Frankincense and Myrrh were among of the most essential ingredients of the sacred embalming lotions with which the mummies were prepared.

 

Tree Population

 Recent studies have indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to overexploitation.

Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%

Ho to Plant It

1. Place the Boswellia sacra seeds in a shallow bowl, and pour the hydrogen peroxide/water solution over them. Allow them to soak for 24 hours.
2. Place the Boswellia sacra seeds on the surface of the of vermiculite and peat moss, , and cover with a sprinkling of vermiculite or sand. Carefully moisten the top layer of the germination medium with water from a spray bottle.
3. Cover the pot with plastic wrap or seal it in a plastic bag. Place the potted Boswellia sacra seeds on a heat mat set to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Germination may occur as soon as seven days. 
4. Open one corner of the plastic when the seed sprouts but allow it to remain on the heat mat as you gradually reduce the heat over the course of one week. 
5. Turn the heat mat off and remove the plastic.

Blog 138-365

Peper Tree

By Liliana Usvat

Pepper plants are climbers which grow to a height or length of 10 m or more. When its main stem is established, it grows lots of side shoots to create a bushy column.


The plants form short roots, called adventitious roots, which connect to surrounding supports.

Although black pepper is cultivated in many tropical regions, it is native to Kerala State in India where it still occurs wild in the mountains.

Cultivation
 
For this spice tree, you pick the fruit before it matures and then dry it. They can be used whole or ground into a powder. The flavor will usually be better if the fruits are kept whole and ground up right before use.

Cuisine and Black Peper



The Arabs had monopolized pepper trade for millennia; it is not surprising, thus, that pepper is popular in Arab cooking and figures prominently in several Arabic spice mixtures.


Black pepper has found friends in the New World, and subsequently entered traditional cooking styles in Latin America.



Rather than following the common Indian practice, Sri Lankan cooking quite often makes use of black pepper as a main spice, creating an interesting contrast to other foods which owe their heat to chiles.


In India, black pepper is widely used but plays no special rôle; it is just one more member of the large spice pan­theon, often used as a minor com­ponent of garam masala.


Also the Vietnamese use now much more black pepper than a few decades ago, since Vietnamese pepper production is now well-established. It is added to long-simmered soups and appears quite often as a table condiment.
 
In Cambodia, black pepper is part of the ubiquitous table condiment tik marij, a mixture of lime juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. Ironically, black pepper is little used in the cuisines of Malaysia and Indonesia, although these are the oldest production areas outside of India.


Black pepper is by far the most used type of pepper­corns. It is widely employed in almost all cuisines of the world. Since pepper cultivation has much increased lately and new plantations spread to remote locations, black pepper is continually introduced into cooking styles that did not use much pepper before, mainly for reasons of expense.
 
For example, Thai cooking has not only developed a likening for fresh unripe pepper berries, but also uses black pepper to a larger extent that before when it was an expensive import commodity. Black pepper is particularly popular for comparatively mild stews as preferred in the cuisine of the Royal Thai Court.

Flowers 


Flowers - grow in clusters along flowering stalks known as spikes. Between 50 to 150 whitish to yellow-green flowers are produced on a spike.




Fruits


Fruits - the flowers develop into round, berry-like fruits. There may be 50-60 fruits on each spike. They grow to a diameter of 4 to 6 mm, each containing a single seed. Fruits are green at first but they turn red as they ripen. These fruits are picked when either green or red to produce black and white pepper.


Blog 137-365